


The Thirteenth Year

by Genie60



Series: Poldark Series 5-One Last Time [1]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Poldark - All Media Types
Genre: Anniversary, F/M, Fluff, Love, Marriage, Poldark AU, Possible Spoilers, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 09:05:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19270090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genie60/pseuds/Genie60
Summary: Ross and Demelza greet their thirteenth wedding anniversary.





	The Thirteenth Year

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING--possible S5 spoilers!!!!  
> This is a totally fictional take on a scene from S5 preview based on my overly romantic mind but I hope that something like this occurs in the upcoming season. My apologies to Winston Graham and Debbie Horsfield for taking liberties with Ross and Demelza again. But I think DH might forgive me.

Thirteen.  For centuries the number had been associated with curses. Or bad luck. People avoided it at all costs. The most positive use for it was as a description of a baker’s dozen.  Even then, the additional roll or cake or sweet could lead to an upset stomach; not the most pleasant way to enjoy extra treats.

But on this June morning, as the sun slowly streamed through the windows of the well-worn bedroom, Ross Poldark, with his arm draped across the torso of his wife, only thought of the number as a blessing.  For thirteen years ago, he wed the woman who now lay beside him after an impulsive night of passion.  He hadn’t realized then that she had entered his life mind, body, and soul. At the time, he believed the only solution to his night of indiscretion was to marry her.  Not for his sake but for hers. While his friends and family saw Demelza as just a lowly kitchen maid who was not worthy of anything more than other servants, Ross saw her differently.

She had become his friend, confidante, conscience and after that night when a blue dress released their mutual passion, his lover.  For this last reason, he couldn’t let her remain a scullery maid who was beckoned to her master’s chamber when he felt an urge.  She was entitled to more than that. He had taken her innocence and needed to make amends. True, the marriage was based on a sense of duty but within six months, Ross Poldark, American war veteran and impoverished squire of Nampara, found himself faced with a something unexpected.  The revelation came on Christmas Eve and the irony was not lost on him.  On a night that is normally centered on miracles and good will, he received and gave the greatest gift one could:  love.

In the thirteen years since that fateful night, he and Demelza had experienced more than just a stomach ache from overindulgence: poverty, riches, betrayal, births, and deaths.  Certainly more than two people should have to experience in such a short time. Yet Demelza, with her innate wisdom and unending faith, found some good in each hurdle; even the loss of their precious first child, Julia.  Ross remembered at that moment that she’d have been twelve this year—1800, the turn of a century.  And as this century began, he and Demelza had finally talked about what they felt at the time of Julia’s passing.  These discussions, borne out of the need to face down other shadows which loomed over their house, helped to finally chase them away.

The first six months of 1800 had been a time of many adjustments. It began with his decision to break from Parliament for the time being because of his desire to be near Nampara, his wife and his family.  The children were growing like weeds and Ross realized how much he’d missed already.  Clearly, the death of Elizabeth added to this feeling of melancholy, for it drove home the fact that nothing in life is certain.  Not even the woman in his arms.  As he gazed at the back of her bright red hair, Ross knew how close they came to losing each other and that each moment together was precious and to be cherished.

Ross moved closer to her sleeping form, needing to feel even more of her as his arm tightened around her torso while he nuzzled her neck, giving her a light kiss.  She squirmed to fit into the curve of his body more securely relishing the warmth he shared.  Ross marveled at how she seemed to be made for him.  His eyes remained closed as he took in her scent but Demelza slowly woke up.

“Ross?  Is something amiss?” she asked sleepily.

He raised his head slightly to see his wife’s gaze trained on his face.

“No my love, why do you ask?” he murmured close to her ear.

“You never linger in our bed as the sun rises.  Are you unwell?”

Demelza moved to turn and face him but he held her fast in his grasp.

“Don’t move.  I want to hold you like this a little longer,” he said into her hair.

The redhead wriggled a bit to get comfortable in her husband’s arms.  Ross fought the urge to free her from her nightgown and take this to another level, choosing instead to enjoy the peaceful start to this auspicious day.

“Ross?  What has come over you?” Demelza asked as she linked fingers with the hand that lay against her middle.

Ross lifted his head to look at Demelza’s face which was serene in its slumber.  Her skin glowed and a gentle smile graced her lips.  She was more beautiful now than the first night they spent in this bed.  His heart swelled with pride at how far she’d come, not only as his wife and partner but as a woman.  He was right when he said she was the better part of him because of how many times she proved it in their thirteen years together, often in the wake of his idiocy.  Now, however, he was surprised that she seemed oblivious to what the day would bring.

“Demelza, do you not know what today is?” he asked.

“Hmm, Tuesday, I believe,” she casually replied.

He was stunned at her lack of sentimentality.  Demelza was an eternal romantic and Ross assumed that their anniversary would incite some kind of reaction from her.  Usually, he was the one who needed reminding of significant dates in the lives of their family and friends which is why he was at a loss at how to handle this turn.

“I never thought, my love, that you would become immune to events that are important to us,” he said.

Demelza said nothing but the expression on her face did change.  Ross saw a grin appear, signaling that she knew exactly what today was.

“I’m surprised that you think so little of me, Ross,” she answered before moving his hand so that she could flip over and face him.

Her hand went to his face so her fingers traced the last remains of his scar as they brushed the hair away from his eyes.

“There,” she said. “Now I can see you better.”

Pulling him down to meet her, Demelza kissed him warmly while his arms slid around her back. This continued for a few moments as the couple enjoyed the taste of each other’s lips.  With a slight groan, she moved away to look into her husband’s eyes.

“For the record, my love, I know full well what today is,” she answered.

With a raised eyebrow, Ross challenged her to prove that.

“And?”

Demelza threaded her fingers through his hair before answering.

“And, I cannot believe that it has been thirteen years since you decided we should marry.  I was proud of you then and despite some lapses of judgment on both our parts, I’m proud of us now.  We’ve come through stronger than most and have proven to even the most skeptical around us that how we came together is less important than who we are now.”

Her voice was quiet and full of emotion which Ross mirrored as he looked into her eyes.  The blue irises sparkled with mischief that drew him in.

“My dearest Demelza, this year more than any other, the anniversary of our wedding means so much.  With all the loss we’ve encountered, I’ve come to realize that finding you that day in Redruth and your subsequent seduction of me was a blessing.”

Ross said nothing more, letting the weight of his words sink in.

“I beg your pardon?  Are you putting the reason for our marriage on me? You were the one who sought me out after I left.  I was prepared to walk away from you and Nampara, even if I left my heart behind in this bed with you.”

The mood suddenly changed from lighthearted to something more as the magnitude of what occurred all those years ago dawned on them.

“No, my love.  There is no one to blame for I truly believe that your falling into my life, even in the most unconventional way, was meant to be.  You saved me Demelza, more so than I saved you. For while your body was broken, it was my soul that was wounded, leaving behind scars unseen.  Except, that somehow your heart saw past my hard exterior and, simply with your love, mended me.”

Tears flowed silently from Demelza, dampening not only her nightgown but Ross’s arm as it lay against her.

“Don’t cry, my love,” he continued.  “We are different than some and luckier than most.  So while this day is special in its basic meaning it is no more significant than any other day we have spent or will spend together.  I consider every day that you are in my life a celebration.”

Demelza said nothing. There was nothing to say as she could not add to what Ross said because she felt the same.

“You have quite the silver tongue this morning, my love,” she teased.

“Perhaps I’ve been paying attention to what woman like,” he replied.

She knew what he was referring to and chose to let it lie.  The past needed to stay in the past.

“Yes, Ross.”

“Now, I will have a gift for you later but how would you like to begin this day?”

Clearly, Ross Poldark had something in mind which his wife immediately understood.

“It seems you already have plans for us,” she teased.

“Perhaps,” Ross said with a smirk.

“Well do you intend on showing me or do shall I guess?” Demelza said.

Ross enjoyed this easygoing banter that had often been missing over the years.  Now, with a life that seemed settled and secure, it returned and he was immensely grateful.  One of the things he loved most about his wife was her wicked sense of humor which often brought him out of a mood without much effort.

“I doubt you need to guess, Demelza.  You know me better than I know myself,” he said as he rolled her on to her back.

“Yes my love, I do.  Don’t forget that,” she said as she reached up to kiss him.

The passion rose quickly between them as it was want to do these days.  Ross’s hands slid under the covers and Demelza’s nightgown while she tugged at his shirt, attempting to pull it over his head.  They parted briefly to allow them to free each other from their clothing which gave Demelza the opportunity to speak before they continued.

“Will I still get a gift later?”

Ross chuckled as he moved over his wife.

“If you behave, you may be pleasantly surprised, my love.”

“Then there is something to look forward to.”

There was no more discussion after that as the couple greeted this morning of their thirteenth year with the love that bound them endlessly, now and for all time.

**Author's Note:**

> I had no intention of even starting S5 fillers, what ifs or wishful thinking fics but this literally popped into my head on the plane home from London. I hope Debbie doesn't mind me jumping into the deep end of this pool so soon because I have no idea what S5 will bring except to say that she and I scarily have a similar wavelength on some character traits. And storylines.....


End file.
